Cloth-holding device for cutting-tables.



J. H. ROCK & E. E. FREECE.

CLOTH HOLDING DEVICE FOR cunme TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. 1915.

1 ,1 83,674, Patented May 16, 1916.

L25 5A grwe/wf/o'w .10 L 11% 23 J 1 UNITED STATE PATENT FFICE.

JQHN H. ROCK AND ERNEST E. FREECE, 0F CANTON, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed June 16, 1915. Serial No. 34,481

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Jonx H. ROCK and Enxnsr E. .Fnnncn, citizens of the United States. residing at Canton, in the county of Fultonand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Holding Devices for Cutting-Tables; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the .invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The general'object of this invention is to insure the positive holding of one end of a bolt of cloth, while the cloth is being spread on the cutting table; also to admit of the expeditious removal of the holding means after the cloth has been spread, so as to permit of the cloth being out in such a manner that there will be no waste; and to this end the invention consists in the provision of a pair of guides adapted for attachment to one side of the table, and a pair of verticall sliding rods arranged within the guides and having their upper ends provided with a clamping bar which is adapted, when the rods are moved downwardly to engage the cloth and clamp the same against the table top, and operating means adjustably connected to the vertically sliding rods.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of our invention of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom; panying drawings forming part thereof in which Figure 1 is a. perspective view of the cutting table showing the clamping device attached thereto. Fig. 2 is an .end view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view, showing the manner in which the clamping bar is secured to the vertically sliding rod. Fig. 4 is a detail view of an operating lever for operating the vertically sliding rod.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the letter a designates the top of an ordinary cutting table and b the supporting legs therefor. The cloth clamping device comprises a pair of brackets 1 and 2, located at one end of the table and secured theretoand positioned in spaced relation with each other. The opposite ends of the brackets are bent and extended outwardly to provide ears 3 and 4, on each bracket. The ears are provided with alined openings through which extend vertical rods 5 and 6, each rod having its upper end extending above the table top and curved and bent downwardly in the direction of the table top, as shown at- 7. The terminals ofthe downwardly bent ends 77 of the rods are bifurcated and positioned within the bifurcations is a horizontally disposed clamping bar 8, which bar is held by means of headed bolts 99 which extend through the respective ends 77 of the rods 5 and (l and have their terminals threaded for the reception of nuts 1010. The lower ends of the vertically sliding rods 5 and (S a re disposed a considerable distance below the lower ears ll of the brackets and are threaded. and mounted on the lower ends of the rods 5 and (l is a transversely connecting bar 11. the said bar fitting against the shoulder 11 formed on the rods 5 and (3, adjacent the lower ends thereof so as to limit the upward movement of the bar 11. The bar 11 is adapted to be adjusted vertically on the rods 5 and (3 and is held in various adjusted positions by means of winged nuts 1;. which are threadably received by the threaded lower ends of the rods 5 and (1.

Located beneath the cutting table is an ('vpcrating lever 1 one end of the lever being pivoted beneath the table as at H and its opposite end extending between the supporting legs at the clamping end of the table. and projecting a distance"therebeyond and provided with a treadle piece 15. The bar 11 is provided with spaced openings 16 and 17, and secured within the openings 16 and 17 are the free terminals of the sides of a V-shaped member 18. the said V-shaped member 18 having its bight. portion disposed below the said bar 11 and connected to one end of a contractile helical spring 19. The opposite end of the spring 19 has connection with one end of a chain 20, the oppo site end of the chain being detachably connected to a hook .21 carried by the operating lever 13.

From the structure so far described, it will be seen that when the operating lever is depressed the rods 5 and 6 will be drawn downwardly resulting in the clamping bar 8 clamping the goods which has been previously placed thereunder so that the goods will be held from movement during the cutting operation.

In order to return the rods 5 and 6 to their normal positions when the operating lever 13 is released,.a contractile spring 22 is provided. This spring 22 has one end connected to a pin 23' carried by the adjacent end of thecutting table, and its opposite end to the bar ll'as shown at 2-1.

' order to hold the clamping. bar in clamping position, a rack bar25 is provided.

This rack is formed from a substantially triangular piece of metal and slitted as at 26 to provide the arms 27 'and 28. The arni 27 has its lower end extended laterally as at 29, and said lateral terminal is adapted to r rest upon the floor or other supporting sursaid lever will be permitted to be noved latface, and to be Secured thereto by means of fastening element 30. "llhearm 28 l as its end slit'ted to provide .theopposite extending {flanges 31 and32, whic'hflanges, like the'lateral extending terininal29 of the'arnr27,

rest upon the floor or other supporting sur- 20' .[the fastening element 33. :Ihe outer edge of the arm 28 is formed to provide the rack face and are secured thereto by me'ans of teeth 34 and these .teethare adapted to be engaged by a laterally extending lngfie carried by the operating lever 13. -When the lever-l3 is depressed far enough to cause the clamping bar 8 to press againstthelcloth onthe top ofthe table, the laterally extendinglug 35 is engaged in one of theteeth or notches 3%, thereby holdingthe lever against upward movement and the springs;l9 and 22 under tension.

H In this c'onnectiom it is stated that the operating lever is adapted to be so mounted at its pivoted end-th-atthe e rally ,from the vertical planeinwhich .it

,travels' so that the lever ean readily- ,be

. moved into engagement with theteeth .34

or disengaged therefrom. Asheioregstated,

when the lever is depressed,- the springs vill be expanded, so that when 5 the lever is re- ;vleased from :the rack; teeth 31, the said ve {claim as new is springs. will retnrn the lever and rodsoa nd G totheir normal position thereby releasli'i f the clamping bar 8 from e gqg nt it: h the clothf By virtue of tl ie. vertical adjustment of the bill 1 w 0P? i g ll fih i vfi be raised and; {at various heights sofas to accommodate various heights of tables .Af 'e 'f ldesire kiifieu t6 cl'et has bee spread or straightened on'the table, the n its I 12 are removed fiqm the :lonferends of rods 5';1nd 6, an d; the spring detached from the pin 23, thereby allewjing'the rods and the clamping bar 8 to be re'moved fro m the table, jthatl the cloth: can be cut trimmed close 'to [the edge offthe, table, so

thatfith ere \vill be 'i owaste of cloth. {By removing the n uts I0 from'the bolts 9,"the

clamping baifcan" be reindveld and a either oflesser or greaterleng'th can be substituted therefor. i

Having thusdescribed our invention wh at The coinbi having vertically sliding clamping bar porting rods thereon, 'a horizgntal barge?!- l'ied by t lower" ends ofjjth'e supporting I rods and adjnstabletherjeon; an operatj glever 'disposed belowi the table, a V-sha'fied 

